The Second Great War
by TheLoneMercenary
Summary: For eight years following the meeting between Ayu, Stigandr, and Holden, a fragile peace was established across the land between the three factions. However, war has broken out once again, now five years deep in the Second Great War. Will the fighting ever come to an end?


**As a Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from For Honor except for the characters I have created.**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys, it's Hunter here. For those who know of me, you have the knowledge that I am also the author of the Rainbow Six Siege story, "A Siege Story: The Storm of Life". That story is currently on hiatus since I'm currently stuck on ideas for what to do in future chapters, but I do promise that one day I will come back and continue writing it. Aside from that, this is one of my latest projects and I hope you guys enjoy this as much as the other story. Talk to you all later when Chapter 2 gets published :)**

* * *

 **Location: Central-Eastern Valkenheim**

 **Time: 9:18 P.M.**

The rain was crashing down at an alarmingly fast rate. The soldiers standing around feared that there might be flooding, but after a few minutes, the rain's pace slowed but remained a downpour as soldiers retreated back to their tents. Most of the fires that were burning had now been doused and were smoldering as the rain continued to dampen the dirt around them, slowly turning into mud. At the rear of the camp stood a large red tent that was illuminated brightly by the lanterns that were lit. Inside stood a middle-aged Japanese man, his face showing a few creases from his age as he looked at the map that was laid out on the table before him. To his flanks, four of his lieutenants watched over him, their arms clasped behind their backs as they continued to stand at attention. Back outside, the sounds of footsteps hitting muddy water pierced through the loud rain, with the noise drawing closer the entrance of the tent. Slowing as they entered, a younger

Japanese man stood at attention at the front of the table, his armor soaked from the rain.

"General Ishii."

Ishii looked up from the table, locking himself into a staring contest with the younger man.

"What is it Akihiro?"

"I've called Renjiro as you asked. He should be here in a few minutes."

"Very well then. Feel free to stay here to dry off before you head back. Don't want you getting sick."

"Thank you, sir."

Moving off to the side, Akihiro shook his arms a bit in order to rid of the excess water that remained on his armor. He himself was a young Orochi, one of the most agile and skilled warriors that the Samurai had to offer in the land. Being part of an elite class of warriors such as the Orochi was a great honor and respect, and it was important to maintain one's skills, or potentially face punishment at the hands of their leaders, or even worse, the Emperor's Champion. Ishii himself was a Kensei, or sword saint, another well-respected group of warriors. They were master swordsmen and known for the ability to deflect attacks and strike quickly after, often shocking their foes and leaving them vulnerable. In the previous war, it was thanks to the Kensei known as Ayu, who also happened to be the current Empress, worked in the company of the Emperor's Champion to help bring a fragile peace to the land. That peace had unfortunately fallen apart eight years ago, and now they were in another bloody conflict once more. While everybody was overlooking the maps, a silent figure moved into the tent, a straw hat of sorts shielding his head and masking his eyes, and hanging from his belt were a pair of katanas. Taking his hat off the male figure shook it a bit, sending water flying off and splattering to the ground. His short spiky hair was relatively dry compared to his hat and once he finished drying his hat, he put it back on as he turned to Ishii.

"General."

Ishii looked back up from his map, as did the four lieutenants.

"Thanks for coming here Renjiro. As you know, we've been trying to break through the Viking's defense for the past few weeks now. It's been slow, but the progress has been gradual. Judging from our intel reports, their food is running short, their men are tired and weak, and some have even succumbed to diseases. We're planning to launch a massive scale assault on their camp just over the hills, and we want you involved in the attack. If we're able to punch through this defensive line, then we'll have an open lane to attack their capital in Valkenheim."

"Sounds simple enough," Renjiro noted, folding his arms over his chest.

"It does, but you know how tough these Vikings can be. Recently, a group of what they call "Shamans" have arrived at their camp as a means of reinforcements. We don't have much information on them, except the fact they can become bloodthirsty savages. They've been known to rip out a man's jugular before," Ishii bluntly stated.

Akihiro shuddered at the statement, with the thought of someone biting his neck making him slightly unwell.

"There really isn't much to tell except that we're going to attempt a pincer attack on them. One half of the group will attack from the left, and the others from the right. If we're able to trap them in the middle of their camp, then we are guaranteed victory," Ishii added.

Renjiro smirked at the plan, nodding along in approval.

"Alright, shouldn't be a problem then. I'll let Sozen and Kagami know when I return to my tent."

Ishii slightly smiled at the response. Renjiro was one of his most trusted men, despite him being an Aramusha, a Samurai Mercenary. Aramusha were generally labeled as Rogues, but Renjiro was of a different cloth compared to other Aramushas. He stuck with a group, rather than drift in search of money and fame in order to raise his reputation, which was what drew Ishii to him. Looking back at the map, Ishii picked up a red pin of sorts off from the table, before pushing it down into the exact spot of where the Viking camp was.

"We leave at sunrise tomorrow. Lieutenants, Akihiro, Renjiro, make sure everyone is ready by then. We're gonna need every ounce of strength and willpower we got in ourselves," Ishii announced.

The men performed a general salute before going their own separate ways from the tent. Both Renjiro and Akihiro walked together, the rain pounding their clothing and armor as Aki made an attempt to shield his head better with his arms while Ren kept walking along nonchalantly.

"Do you think we'll be successful?" Akihiro inquired.

"Ishii's an intelligent man Aki. Remember, age is only a number, but the older you get, the wiser you become and Ishii is a fine example of that. As long as we follow orders, we'll have that camp with very little difficulty," Renjiro responded, adjusting his tunic.

"I suppose you're right. It's just that, we've been at this for so long, I'm afraid of what will happen if we fail," Aki stated, a worried expression crossing his face.

"Do not worry about the negative aspects until after the fight. Focus on the positives, give yourself the motivation that you need in order to fight. We break through this line, we'll have the Vikings' throats at the tip of our blades," Renjiro assured.

The reassurance from Ren seemed to put Aki a bit more at ease, but he was still unsure about how the mission would go tomorrow. Eventually, he peeled away from Ren as he returned to his own tent while Ren kept progressing forward. Soon enough, Ren reached his tent, pushing the flaps to the side as he entered. Inside, there was a large man of a heavy build, whose hair was up in a high ponytail, to the far left who appeared to be in deep thought with his eyes closed, arms resting in his lap as he sat on his bed. To the right, a woman with a slim physique was quietly resting in her bed, still dressed in her battle gear. The rest of the tent had cheap, dirt-stained rugs covering the ground as a means to give protection from the barren land. There were also small wooden shelves and drawers, along with a weapon rack that held the others' weapons: a kanabo, and a naginata. Walking over to the rack, Ren took his katanas off his belt, placing them on the rack before he turned to the larger man, walking up to him to the point where he was only about five feet away from him.

"Sozen."

The man called Sozen opened up his eyes, looking up at Ren. His face almost appeared the same as Ishii's, with there being creases in his face, but he also possessed a scar that ran from the bottom of his left eye, down to the level where his bottom lip was. Given the sheer size of his body, one could easily guess that he was part of the heavy hitters known as Shugoki. Men who were able to wield the kanabos, often crushing their enemies or even knocking their heads off and sending them flying off their shoulders. They were also referred to as the Guardians since they were able to do most of the heavy lifting when it came to defensive preparations and also launching decent sized rocks at enemies.

"What is it Renjiro?"

"We're attacking the Viking camp tomorrow. Ishii told us to be ready by sunrise and make sure you got everything with you. Just about everyone is being called in for this attack."

Sozen solemnly nodded in response.

"I understand."

Lowering his head, Sozen went back to his meditation while Ren took off his straw hat and left it to dry on one of the wooden shelves. Looking at the woman, he turned back to Sozen.

"How long has she been asleep?" Renjiro asked.

"About the past hour or so. She's still recovering from the reconnaissance mission from a few days ago," Sozen replied, not raising his head up.

Walking over to the woman, Ren took a moment to inspect: Her dark hair was let down, fully flowing down to the point where it reached the middle of her back. On her right arm, there was a bandage wrapped around her forearm and another one further up by her shoulder. Judging by how many layers of bandages there were wrapped, Ren easily guessed that the wounds weren't too severe, but bad enough to the point where the woman would be out of action in order to recover. Lightly, he tapped her shoulder, causing her eyes to flutter open and soon enough she sat up from her prone position.

"Hey Ren…" she yawned, covering her mouth with her gloved hand.

The greeting made Ren chuckle a bit as he crouched down so he was more level with the woman. Judging by her gear and physique, it was easy to assume that she was part of the female exclusive warrior group known as the Nobushi. Women who were trained in distant fighting with naginatas and were able to stab at certain areas on the opponent's body in order to make them bleed profusely. They also had a fighting art known as the Hidden Stance, in which they could feign attacks before pulling back into a martial stance and then could continue into another flowing combo. They were deadly if one was not prepared for them at all and even if one did stand a chance, they would most likely bleed out before they could deal serious damage.

"Hey, Kagami. I know you're still in recovery, but Ishii's calling everyone to action for tomorrow."

"Are we finally assaulting that camp?"

Ren nodded in response.

"Yeah. He wants everyone ready by sunrise so we can perform a massive scale assault on the place. This is our chance to potentially bring the Vikings down."

Kagami smiled at the news.

"Heh, should be fully recovered by tomorrow morning then," she tiredly responded.

Ren laughed at the response, patting Kagami on the shoulder as he stood back up.

"Rest now so you got the energy for the morning. You're gonna need it," Ren stated, running a hand through his hair.

Taking his advice, Kagami rolled onto her back as she closed her eyes once more while Ren went back to get his things prepared for tomorrow's big mission. His bed was near the back wall, lined up with the entryway and beside it were the necessities that he carried: snacks, water, his bag, and a silver pendant that laid on top of his pillow. The main piece of the pendant was a wolf, standing on all fours with its head reared back, howling up to the sky. Ren slightly smiled upon seeing it before looking back at Kagami. Unbeknownst to him, Sozen was watching his every move from his bed.

"You care a lot for her Ren," Sozen noted, his eyes trained on Renjiro.

The statement slightly startled Ren, since he was caught off guard by Sozen watching him. Turning his attention over to Sozen, he was met with a smirk from the Shugoki as he let out a disgruntled sigh, returning to getting his things ready.

"What drives you to protect her?" Sozen inquired, shifting his legs.

Ren turned back to Sozen, holding up the wolf pendant.

"This. I made a promise to her when we were kids that I would protect her at all costs. After her parents had been slain in that Viking raid back in Koto, I vowed to become her guardian, and in return, she gifted me this pendant as a means to symbolize my vow. Someone like her doesn't deserve to go out the way her parents did Sozen….she deserves something more fitting….more honorable," Renjiro sternly replied, tucking the pendant under his pillow.

The Shugoki let out a small, satisfied laugh at the response.

"A noble cause indeed, except your character and reputation would say otherwise," Sozen replied, his expression returning back to all seriousness.

"That was four years ago Sozen. That Daimyo had no idea how to control his legion of Samurai and it cost him in the end. We were beaten and broken, and I spent five months just about rotting in a dampened prison cell in Valkenheim before returning to The Myre as a changed man. The leaders we had at the time made me question if fighting under one of their banners was worth it and ultimately I decided to pursue my own path. Kagami said she would kill me herself if something like that happened again...so I promised her that I would also compose myself and become a better man, and now look where we're at…" Renjiro sighed.

Laying down on his bed, Ren clasped his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling of the tent. A distant thunderclap suddenly boomed in the distance, drawing the attention of the two Samurai.

"A storm is brewing...you know what the Elders would say," Sozen commented.

"A thunderstorm indicates hard times coming…" Renjiro added, turning so he was facing the wall.

"Which means the mission won't be easy…" Sozen solemnly noted.

"Nothing has ever been easy Sozen. The war that started with Apollyon took _years_ to finish before we eventually settled on a fragile peace. Look how long that lasted: eight years. For only eight years we could live our lives without any worry," Renjiro angrily responded.

The Shugoki let out a sigh as he looked over at his Aramusha friend.

"Don't let your anger cloud your mind now Ren. I think it's best if we both retire for the evening now. Like you said earlier, Ishii wants everyone ready by sunrise," Sozen replied, laying himself down on his bed.

Renjiro couldn't argue with that statement. He was the one who originally brought the order that Ishii wanted everyone to fully prepared in the coming hours, and he still had some preparations to take care of himself. Rolling onto his other side, he blankly stared at the entryway of the tent as the wind started to pick up. Thoughts were swirling throughout his mind as he thought about the mission and what outcomes would affect the Samurai should they succeed or fail. Failure was something that no one wanted to think about, for if the failure was measured to the point where the damage was too great, then there would only be one means of punishment: Seppuku. He coldly shuddered at the thought, shaking his head in an attempt to block out the image. Sliding a hand up under the pillow, he began to absentmindedly fiddle with the pendant, with his gaze soon wandering over to Kagami as she silently snoozed. Looking at her and playing with the pendant could only relieve the peaceful memories they once had when they were younger, up until the Battle of Koto. It was sometime after the Invasion that they came across Sozen, who was once stationed in the city himself before being let go and free to wander the land. Banded together as a trio, they enlisted together after meeting Ishii and were labeled as some of the best warriors that the Samurai had to offer. The thought made him chuckle a bit, and soon enough, he slowly passed into slumber as his mind drifted towards happier times.

* * *

 **Time: 4:57 A.M.**

The rain that pounded the camp from last night had subsided overnight, leaving the ground damp and muddy, with soldiers having to trudge through it in their armor. The benefit of having not to deal with the rain means that they wouldn't have to worry about their armor getting soaked, but having to hike through muddy terrain would prove to be difficult. A good portion of Orochi, Kensei, and a few Aramusha were wandering about in the middle of the camp as they waited for further orders from Ishii. Meanwhile, at Renjiro's tent, Ren himself was getting his battle gear ready whilst cleaning his katanas, with Kagami watching on from her bed, her hair up in a ponytail held by many bands running along the length of her hair with her mask resting in her lap. Sozen was outside the tent, leaning on his kanabo, with his Oni mask in hand as he waited for the two so they could head off to the center grounds. Drawing his katanas out, Ren scraped them against one another's edges as a means to sharpen them before sheathing them once more. Turning to the wooden shelf, he picked up his hat, fitting it onto his head, running his thumb with his index and middle finger across the brim as he stared out at the entryway.

"Let's do this," he determinedly stated.

At the command, Kagami stood up from her bedside, trailing just behind Ren as they walked out of the tent. Taking note of the motion, Sozen soon followed the two as they headed off to the center grounds. During the walk, Ren occasionally snuck glances over at Kagami, ensuring that she was physically ready since her injuries weren't fully healed. In due time, they arrived at the center grounds, where Ishii was standing at the forefront of the crowd as soldiers were still amassing at the grounds. Along his flanks, just like last night, his four lieutenants stood by him, two on each side. Standing just behind him was the young Akihiro, his helmet cradled under his arm as he stood at attention just like the lieutenants. Small chatter echoed throughout the gathering as Ishii constantly scanned the crowd, double checking his count of everyone in order to ensure that everyone was in attendance. Satisfied with the outcome of it, he signaled to the lieutenant closest to him on his left, who stepped forward.

"Camp, attention!"

The conversations among the soldiers immediately fell silent as all attention turned towards Ishii and his command. The lieutenant fell back into rank while Ishii stepped forward, a look of determination and seriousness resting upon his face.

"Men….women…..today is the day that we uproot those savage, bloodthirsty Vikings from their hillside camp and open ourselves an open route to the capital of Valkenheim. This has been a long-awaited day for our Empire, our families, and our friends, and we must ensure that we do not let this chance slip up," Ishii stated in a serious tone.

Most of the men and women Kensei exchanged looks with one another as did the Orochi, while the Shugoki stood in silence with the Nobushi.

"This is the day that we break the Vikings' spirit and send them packing. They've been resilient, but we have proven ourselves to be of stronger kin...more determined….more aggressive than any other man or woman...today….we bury the Vikings that reside in that camp," Ishii finished, muttering the last few words under his breath.

The gathered crowd raised their blades up into the air, with the Shugoki being the exception as they all raised their kanabos up into the air with everyone letting an affirmative war shout before filing into their respective ranks, with the exceptions of Renjiro, Kagami, Sozen, Akihiro, Ishii, and his lieutenants. With Kagami and Sozen flanking him, Ren approached Ishii, tipping his hat towards the General out of respect.

"What's the exact course we'll be taking General?" Renjiro inquired.

"They'll be expecting us to come fully charging down the hillside, but to counteract that thought, we'll be skirting the top of the hill in order to attack their flanks. The routes may take up more time, but if we want to ensure victory, then we'll have to go those separate ways," Ishii affirmed.

"I understand," Ren responded, saluting Ishii.

"Aki, go with Ren and his group. Best you stick with them as they lead the front of Group A….and Ren, when we reach the woods that are before the strip of road leading to the hill, make sure to signal for the Shinobi that are currently lurking there. They'll know what to do once you call them down," Ishii ordered.

Both men nodded in response to Ishii's commands before turning their attention over to a large gathering that contained a mixture of Orochi, Kensei, and a few other Aramusha. The Kensei and Orochi were standing at attention, their swords sheathed, but hands placed on the hilts at the ready. On the flanks, however, some of the Aramusha appeared to be dozing off, something that irritated both Ren and Sozen.

"Sozen, get them in line," Renjiro ordered, wiping the brim of his hat.

Letting out a grunt, Sozen donned his Oni mask as he approached the five Aramusha that were slightly goofing off. Towering over them, he simply stared them down, firmly slamming his kanabo into the ground, startling the Aramusha. The five looked up at Sozen, as if ready to start yelling at him, but their voices were rendered silent as they stared into the face of the Oni mask that covered his face. Not taking his eyes off them, Sozen drew a line at the feet of the Aramusha that stood before him, exhaling a disgruntled sigh.

"You stay in line, and if any of you dare cross this line, I'll make sure your ass gets left behind here in the medical tent," Sozen growled, slamming his kanabo into the ground once more, making the Aramusha back up a few paces.

Giving the small group one last stare down, Sozen soon returned to Ren's side, who was doing his best to suppress his laughter at the scene had just witnessed.

"You never fail to amaze me Sozen," Ren remarked.

The Shugoki bellowed a hearty laugh from under his mask as Ren returned his attention to the rest of the group they had command of.

"Men, women….keep in your hearts the words that Ishii spoke. This is the day we have been striving for and the day that we finally break through and bound towards the capital of Valkenheim. Lest naught the fear of failure plague your minds, but find the motivation to will yourselves to fight, to kill, and to win. The Empire has faith in us, as does Ishii and our job…..is to make them proud," Renjiro stated, determination radiating throughout his voice.

The group let out a defiant warcry in response to Ren's words of encouragement, earning a smile from the Aramusha.

"Right then, best we get moving now while the sun is still low. The quicker we get to the campsite, the more of a surprise we'll have in store for those bastard Vikings," Renjiro noted, starting to move out.

Following his lead, the rest of the group started to follow in Ren's stride as they made their way towards the exit of the camp. Kagami easily caught up Ren's right side while Sozen trailed behind the two with Akihiro as a means to ensure that no one was acting out of line behind them. The damp air eventually became cool and crisp as they continued down the rugged path, passing by one of the rivers that appeared to be on the verge of overflowing. Some of the soldiers briefly stopped to scoop some of the water up into their parched mouths before quickly jogging in order to catch up with the ranks. Absentmindedly, Ren began to play with the pendant again that lay around his neck. His mind was focused on leading the group to the intended woods that were outside the reach of the camp, but the exchange of words he had with Sozen last night still echoed in the back of his mind.

"Ren."

Whipping his head around, he locked eyes with Kagami, who was wearing a worried expression.

"You okay? You seem off."

"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine...just concentrated on the mission is all."

The response appeared to somewhat satisfy Kagami, but her suspicions were still aroused as she kept looking at Ren, whose focus had now returned to the road. Letting out a quiet sigh, Kagami focused on looking at the road ahead of them, acting as both a guide and sentry. Subconsciously, she drifted slightly closer to Ren, almost to the point where they were touching elbows.

"Ren…"

"What is it Kagami?"

"I heard the thunderstorm pass by overnight."

Ren drew in a sharp breath for he knew what was going through Kagami's mind.

"As the Elders would say…."

"Thunderstorms indicate hard times are ahead...trust me, I know. Sozen and I had the same conversation last night about it."

Kagami looked back at Sozen, who nodded in confirmation.

"Then minds think alike in this case…"

"I take it you're assuming that this mission won't be easy Kagami?"

She solemnly nodded in response to Ren's question, garnering a sigh from the Aramusha.

"There's only so much I can promise at this rate Kagami. I've promised to lead us into battle in the attack, I've promised to meet with those tricksters we call Shinobi, and I promised to bring glory to our Empire. Most importantly though…."

He rested a hand on the top of her back.

"...I made the promise to protect you. That's something I plan to uphold until the end of my life. Everything else I just mentioned, I could easily throw it away right now if I wanted to, but you'd hate me for it since I'd be breaking my other promise of being a better man...so there's another promise I can't risk breaking."

The statement had left both Kagami and Sozen quiet as they continued hiking along the rugged road as Aki looked on in awe, with Ren soon retracting his hand from Kagami's back, returning it back to the hilt of his katana. Renjiro was usually a man who appeared to be carefree at most times, but there were also the times that came when he was serious with his words, the drive behind them often clung tightly, something Sozen knew from his observations of the Aramusha. Continuing to trot down the road, Ren had now taken a steely look of determination as the trio continued to lead the group towards the intended destination of the thick woods that laid a good few hours ahead of them. The trek would prove to be tiring, but it would be the silent determination that was carried in the heart and soul of every soldier that would make the trip seem like it was nothing in the end once they reached the intended location.

* * *

 **Time: 10:23 A.M.**

"Almost there….General Ishii said that the woods should be on the other side of the ridge up ahead," Akihiro mentioned, pointing at the curved lip of the hills ahead of them.

Sure enough, resting at the top of the hill was a great cluster of trees that seemed to span for at least two miles long. The trees overshadowed the ridge, casting great lengths of dark shadows on the ground, almost as if they appeared to be monsters looming over wandering travelers. Looking up at the ridge himself, Ren used the aid of his hand to help block some of the sunlight as he did his best to discern the wooded area. There was a slightly puzzled expression he wore, and unsure of the exact location, he turned toward Sozen.

"Check the map to make sure this is correct Sozen," Renjiro ordered.

Reaching into his waistband, the Shugoki pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. Unfurling it, he pushed his Oni mask to the top of his head so he could gain a better look at the map he had with him. He looked up at the ridge, then the map, back up at the ridge, and once more back to the map. Rolling it up in his hands, he simply nodded to Ren as he tucked the map away from everyone's sight.

"Right then...Aki, tag with me to get the Shinobi. Kagami, Sozen, watch over the rest of the group, _especially_ the other Aramusha," Renjiro commanded as he and Akihiro started to make their way to the hill.

The hike itself was a bit more treacherous than it first appeared. Most of the ground was loose and slippery due to the rainstorm that had been hitting in the region in the past few days, making the hill climb a bit more difficult, but their agility training had trained the two to quickly react to those slick instances. Using the rocks that were also sticking out on the hillside, they jumped their way from rock to rock, quickly gaining elevation as they drew closer to the edge of the thick woods. Oak trees lined the outer edge of the woods, and the air was deathly quiet by the time they reached the border. Akihiro was a bit unnerved at the scene of it, but Renjiro was relatively calm compared to the young Orochi. Moving slowly, the two entered the woods, pushing branches out of their way on occasion as they progressed. Eventually, there was an opening they came across that practically seemed like the perfect spot for a trap. Being the brave one, Renjiro silently walked himself to the center, his hands coming off the hilts of his katanas as he dropped to a knee in the clearing with a hand raised to his temple.

"Kaze no yō ni hayaku, yoru no yō ni shizuka ni, shinobu, watashi wa anata o shōkan suru," **(Swift like the wind, silent like the night, Shinobi, I summon thee)** Renjiro uttered, standing back up.

Akihiro edged himself closer to the wooded area to where he was farthest away from the center of the clearing where Ren calmly awaited the Shinobi's arrival. Above them, there were the rustling of leaves, alerting both as they looked up into the thick entanglement of branches that stretched up into the sky. Suddenly, a kama, attached with a chain, struck the ground in front of Ren, startling Aki, but Ren was relatively unphased as he followed the chain to where it came from. Up in the tree line, a lone figure leaped off the branch it was resting on, flipping through the air until it firmly planted itself in front of Ren, picking the chained kama up off the ground. Another one of sorts was resting in the figure's hand, the same chain connecting the two, effectively making the weapon of choice a kusarigama. From higher up, at least fifteen other robed figures leaped down, full masks covering their faces except for their eyes. Some of them had ponytails hanging out from a space in the back of the mask, which Ren easily deduced as the women of the group. All eyes were on him, but the one he paid the most attention to was the one in front of him: the leader of the Shinobi. The person before him soon peeled off their mask, revealing a rather young woman, who looked to be in her mid-20s with her raven black hair pulled back into a ponytail itself. A thin white scar was present, running across the bridge of the woman's nose.

"Izumi," Renjiro addressed, apparently familiar with the Shinobi.

"Renjiro," Izumi responded.

There was an awkward tension in the air as the two stared one another down. Uncomfortably, Aki made his way away from the treeline in order to join up with Ren, his presence immediately grabbing the attention of the other Shinobi, who began to whisper among one another as they continued to watch over the trio. The stalemate between the Aramusha and Shinobi was also slightly uncomforting for them to watch since this was supposed to just be a call-to-arms, but whatever history they had between one another was currently trying to drive a wedge between them.

"Puraibashī o mamoru koto ga dekireba, watashi wa sore o kansha shimasu," **(If you could spare us some privacy, I'd appreciate it)** Izumi commented, addressing her group of Shinobi.

The squadron was rather surprised by such a request, and looks of confusion soon rested on their faces as they stood in silence. Renjiro smirked at their reactions before turning to Akihiro.

"Aki, shinobu o tsurete nokori no butai ni tsurete ike. Watashitachi wa karera ga hokanohito to issho ni iru yō ni suru no ga besutodesu," **(Aki, take the Shinobi to the rest of the group. Best we get them situated with everyone else)** Ren ordered, turning back to Izumi.

Aki nervously nodded in response as he looked at the remaining Shinobi. They appeared so sinister under their masks, but in this case, they seemed less threatening due to the order Izumi issued them. Turning on his heel, he started making his way back through the wooded area, with the Shinobi squadron soon following in close pursuit as their footsteps crunched against the dead branches. Once the footsteps faded out of earshot, the silence between the two returned, almost as if there were rising tensions.

"Been awhile since we last spoke," Renjiro noted, folding his arms over his chest.

"You mean since the day you left me?" Izumi retorted.

" _Didn't take her long to pull that card…"_ Renjiro thought, internally rolling his eyes.

"You have no idea how hurt I was when you just up and vanished," Izumi continued.

"That lifestyle we were running wasn't cutting it nor was it making anyone around me happy," Renjiro sternly replied.

Izumi could a feel strong urge to just straight up punch Ren, but she held herself back from doing so for the time being.

"Please, you wouldn't have gotten involved in the mercenary line of work if it weren't for me teaching you the basic skills. We could've been better off than any of the Daimyos, but you threw it away," Izumi growled, clenching her fists.

"Unlike you, I've changed in my ways. The day I returned home after nearly rotting to death in Valkenheim for five months, I vowed to change the way I carried myself and what have you done with yourself Izumi?" Renjiro inquired, surprisingly keeping his cool.

Izumi's face scrunched up at the questionable remark from her former mercenary friend, but deep down in her, she felt old emotions start to swell.

"I was doing what I could to help provide for us! Those nights we spent in that decrepit building on the edge of Shibuya with all those other mercenaries...what drove us? The love we had, that's what. Then you had to just go and wander off without even saying a damn word…" Izumi stated through gritted teeth.

"You speak of something that no longer exists between us. We may have had that special bond, but it's broken now and I don't see it reforming anytime soon….not with you still being a former shadow of our past lives," Renjiro cooley replied.

That pushed her over the edge. Drawing back her right arm, she swung across, but Ren easily dodged with such precision and quickness that he even caught her arm in the air before it could start to drop from its position.

"You're letting emotions get in the way of your thinking," Renjiro noted, tightening the grip on her arm.

"Shut up!" Izumi cried, struggling to break herself free.

Ren instinctively tightened his grip more as Izumi continued to squirm in his grasp. The woman he once held as his beloved was no different compared to the woman he had met prior. Stubborn, but strong-willed in most situations, except for this instance. He had rarely seen her cry before, but the fact that she was on the verge of doing so somewhat surprised him. Normally, he would've let go by now, but the tension between him and Izumi prevented him from doing so as his mind was in a mental battle with itself on what to do. Ren knew that they had to get back to the rest of the group he was leading, but the ongoing argument between the two was only delaying their progress.

"Are you done quarreling now?" Renjiro asked, loosening his grip.

Izumi could only stare him down as he popped the question. The cold, steely look in his eyes reflected his serious tone while she was trying her hardest to keep herself composed. Just as Ren was starting to let go of her arm, she launched a high kick aimed at Ren's head, but being the nimble Aramusha, he quickly sidestepped it, catching Izumi's leg in the pit of his arm before sweeping her down to ground. Moving swiftly, he quickly pinned his knee on top of her midsection and pressed his forearm just below her throat as he coldly stared into her eyes.

"Pitiful of you to try and do that Izumi," Ren remarked, not showing any signs of letting go anytime soon.

"Screw you…" Izumi hissed.

"Please, you already did that to me plenty of times," Ren retorted, pressing his knee and forearm deeper, making Izumi cough.

Izumi continued to struggle on the ground, but it was a clear and in vain attempt at reaching for freedom. The whole time, Ren could only stare her down as she flailed about beneath him, her ponytail moving in rhythm with each jerk and pull. Letting out a sigh, he lessened the pressure he was pressing onto her, not taking his eyes off her.

"If I get off you, will you stop being childish and cooperate? We have a mission to complete, and that is defeating the Vikings, not me having to babysit you because you still haven't gotten over the fact that our relationship is over. So please, enough fighting, just work with me here," Ren begged.

Izumi only wanted to hiss more insults in his face, but in his eyes, she could see the painful sorrow that resided in him as he spoke. Drawing in a breath, she slowly exhaled it, closing her eyes as she did so. Tears started to flood from the corners of her eyes, with Ren quickly taking note of them, causing him to turn his head away as he stood back up onto the solid ground. Reaching down, he extended his hand out to Izumi, which she hesitantly took before Ren easily pulled her back up to her feet whilst she was now trying to hide her crying with her other arm. Feeling remorse, Ren pulled her into a gentle embrace, wrapping his right arm around her neck as she started to bawl into his armor. After a few more minutes had passed, Izumi's sobs had subsided as she still had her face buried into Ren's shoulder.

"I can't promise the fact that we'll ever be together again," Ren started, "But the love I have for you as a friend is still there. You know you're a great fighter, an amazing Shinobi, but your true value lies in the friendship you gave me. That is something I want to stay between us Izumi. I don't want hate or ill feelings held between us. You know you're still something special to me and I don't want you forgetting that," he finished.

His grip on her tightened as he finished his sentimental statement. It was tough to rekindle such a friendship with someone he never said goodbye to and easily expect forgiveness. The gesture had caught Izumi off guard for she soon felt more tears starting to well up in her eyes, but she held them back as she gently wrapped her arms around Ren's waist. Ren slightly smiled at the returned gesture as the two stood together in the clearing, the silent air still dancing around them. Eventually, Ren broke the unison between the two, making his way back towards the direction of where he and Aki originally came from.

"C'mon...we got a group to lead," he called back, stopping at the treeline.

Knowing he was right, Izumi donned her mask before catching up with Ren as the two started to make their back towards the group of Samurai, who were already starting to itch for a fight with the Vikings of Valkenheim.

* * *

 **Time: 12:58 P.M.**

The sun was now starting to beat down mercilessly on the Samurai as they were stopping at an open field to rest and to wait for Ishii's group to meet up with them. Sozen was quietly sitting with Kagami, scanning the map constantly to ensure that they were close to the camp while Kagami took the time to lay herself out in the grass, soaking up the sunlight. A few yards away, Ren was sitting with Aki and Izumi, a separate map laid out before them on the grass. Crouched down with a hand resting against his chin, Ren traced the roads on the map with the forefinger on his other hand, carefully analyzing the routes that lead up to the Viking camp. Aki sat on the opposite side of Ren, dusting off his helmet, making sure it looked somewhat presentable while Izumi sat to the left of Ren, her mask resting in her lap as she absentmindedly ran her hand through the grass whilst looking up at the sky in pure silence. The wind was gently blowing, giving off a calming breeze in order to give the group some relief from the heat. Izumi took the chance to undo her ponytail, letting her hair fully flow in the wind as she ruffled it. Aki couldn't help but take a moment to notice the beauty of the Shinobi, his cheeks starting to turn pink as he blushed at the sight of her. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he could sense Ren staring him down, catching Aki in the act who quickly went back to cleaning his helmet as a means to cover up his act, which garnered a chuckle from the Aramusha who went back to looking over the map. Meanwhile, Sozen had rolled his map back up, letting out a sigh as he looked out over the rest of the group. Most of the Samurai had their helmets and masks removed, and some of them had even shed parts of their armor off in order to cool themselves from the heat, which was slowly becoming more unbearable with each passing minute that even Sozen himself wiped his brow as he felt beads of sweat starting to roll down his forehead.

"This heat is gonna be the death of us if Ishii doesn't show up anytime soon," Sozen remarked, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

"I personally don't mind it. Feels good to actually bask in some sun after the constant rain we've had," Kagami chirped.

"That and the fact you've practically shedded most of your armor in order cool off. Something I really don't blame you for though given the current situation," Sozen replied.

From the east, there was the sound of synchronized footsteps, along with the shuffling of armor, something that garnered the attention of most of the group as they looked in the general direction of the noise, including Ren, Aki, Izumi, Sozen, and Kagami looking to the east. Coming around the rounded corner, a man wearing a mask of sorts with a rank of four more men marching behind him, with the two in the middle carrying banners that had the Dawn Empire's emblem painted on them. Rolling up the map, Ren stood up from his crouched position as he continued to stare at the oncoming group of Samurai that were marching towards them. It was easy to discern the group as Ishii's men since every person carried that same high level of determination and pride with every step as they approached the rest of the group. Reaching the outer edge of the first group, Ishii cast his arm aside, signaling his company to stop, allowing the two lieutenants to plant their banners into the ground for the time being in order to take a much-needed break from the long walk they just endured. Ren and Sozen were the first two to walk over to Ishii, who was just taking off his helmet, sucking in huge breaths of air, his face covered in sweat.

"General," both Renjiro and Sozen addressed, giving a general salute.

"Guys," Ishii heaved, still catching his breath, "How's the road ahead looking?"

"Clear by the look of things. Camp should be no more than half an hour away and over the hillside," Ren commented, pointing at the road behind him and Sozen.

"How many men total do we have again?" Sozen inquired, "Never really got a full headcount."

"At least five hundred in this squadron, potentially a max of seven hundred," Ishii replied.

"Should be enough to take down the camp," Renjiro affirmed.

"I hope so. We've been planning this attack for weeks now, and it's gonna be the death of me if we don't win this fight," Ishii stated, his breathing returning to normal.

Both Ren and Sozen knew what he meant by the statement as they exchanged glances with one another. For if a general were to fail in battle, especially an important one that they were about to go through, it would often mean Seppuku as punishment if they were still alive by the end of the fight.

"We'll rest here to catch our breath and rehydrate. This heat has been killing us all today," Ishii laughed.

The two friends nodded in agreement with Ishii before they went back to their inner circle of friends. Izumi had put her hair back up in its usual ponytail and Aki by this point had shed the top half of his armor as he was really starting to sweat from the dry heat. Kagami had gone back to basking in the sun, her long hair flowing down her back, free from its ponytail while her naginata lay to her side, along with small pieces of her battle gear resting alongside it. Sozen soon returned to her side, his Oni mask in hand as he picked up his kanabo from the ground, giving it a brief inspection along the club part before putting it back on the ground as he heaved out a sigh.

"You sound troubled," Kagami noted, sitting up.

Sozen looked down at Kagami in relative silence before looking off in the direction of Ren, who by this time had taken out the map again as he was going over strategies with Aki while Izumi stood over them.

"If you can, call Ren over. There are some things that the three of us need to discuss before we move to the camp…" Sozen gravely remarked.

Turning away, Sozen walked his way over to the nearby clearing that was at least a solid thirty yards away from the makeshift camp that the Samurai group had. Kagami watched on in silence, her interest piqued by what Sozen had mentioned. Nonetheless, she pushed herself up from her spot and lightly trotted over to the other three.

"Ren," she called out.

The Aramusha paused in his briefing, looking up from the map.

"Hey, Kagami. What's up?"

"Sozen said he wanted to talk...in private," Kagami replied, her eyes averting from Ren's gaze at the last part of the statement.

Ren's demeanor immediately changed into a serious one at the notion. He knew very well that Sozen was the type of person to be blunt when there was a serious matter at hand, and he figured that this conversation would be no different. Sighing, he stood up from his spot, adjusting his tunic.

"I'll be right over. Aki, Izumi, keep studying the strategies we got so far," Renjiro ordered.

Stepping over the map, the two proceeded to make their way over to Sozen, who was silently staring off into the distance, arms folded over his chest. Quietly, the pair approached the larger man with Kagami trailing just behind Ren.

"Sozen," Renjiro stated.

The Shugoki turned towards Ren, his serious demeanor not having changed in the slightest.

"You said you wanted to speak about something," Ren addressed.

"That I did. I'm pretty sure it's simple to figure out exactly what is it that I want to discuss," Sozen responded, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

Ren heaved a heavy sigh at the statement.

"Are you that hung up on the mission Sozen? We've already discussed this ma-"

"There's more to it than you think Ren," Sozen sternly stated.

Ren's through process immediately went blank at the quick response.

"You're only looking at what Ishii wants and telling him what he wants. Have you not studied anything else on that map?"

"Of course I have! Aki, Izumi, and I were drawing up strategies just then…"

"Strategies for what? The _only_ routes we're going?"

"What else for? Ishii told us that we'd be flanking the camp."

"Flanking won't do us any justice…."

"What?"

As if routine, Sozen pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment that was tied off with a simple knot. Lightly, he tossed it to Ren, who caught it in one hand.

"One of the Shinobi brought me that parchment earlier and showed me what the camp really is and it isn't what Ishii thinks. The camp is no traditional Viking outpost Ren, see for yourself."

Ren longingly stared at Sozen with a confused look, but composing himself, he quickly undid the knot on the parchment. Unfurling it, a shocked expression crossed his face as he scanned the paper. On it, was a sketch of the exterior of the camp, and the more he analyzed it, there more he realized that there was only one entrance to the camp. In his mind, he wanted to shred the paper, but that would just be wasting intel if he did so. Reluctantly, he handed the sketch back over to Sozen.

"Now you know why I don't like the look of this attack," Sozen solemnly addressed.

Ren remained silent as his thought process was now solely focused on the look of the camp. They had no clue what the inside was like except for a general idea of what the layout could be. Judging by what he saw, the inside was probably large, but most definitely a tight fit in order to make it difficult for enemy forces to maneuver well enough. Aside from that to think over, there was also the task of trying to figure out how many people they had inside and also what caliber they were in. Everyone knew about the Raiders, Berserkers, and Valkyries, and usually, they had one Warlord to watch over them. Aside from them, there were also Highlanders, and most recently, the Shamans to worry about as well.

"If there isn't much else for discussion, I'm bringing this to Ishii's attention," Sozen noted, rolling the paper back up.

Nothing came out in response. Ren's head only dropped a little, emptily staring down at the ground. Taking the silence as consent, Sozen turned away from the two and started striding his way over to Ishii's group, who were already discussing the upcoming battle plan on what now looked like a fortress, compared to a standard outpost. Unconsciously, Ren started running his thumb along one of the hilts of his katanas, trying to distract himself from the information that Sozen had presented him. Unbeknownst to him, Kagami had quietly stepped up beside him.

"Ren…"

Silence still lingered in the air as Ren still kept his head slightly bowed. It was a rare occurrence to see Ren in such a state of silence. Normally, he was generally upbeat and optimistic, but with what Sozen had shown him, his entire complexion had completely changed as he stood in absolute silence. Kagami carefully reached out to him, gently circling her fingers around his forearm. He didn't even flinch at the motion, and it was difficult to make out his current expression as his hat shielded a good deal of his face. Exhaling a quiet sigh, Kagami released her hold on Ren.

"I'll be heading back to get ready. If you need anything, you know I'll be on call," Kagami mentioned.

Turning on her heel, she started to make her way back to her area but was suddenly stopped by Ren firmly encircling her wrist with his hand. She turned her head back towards him, a puzzled expression now resting on her face.

"Something you want to talk about now?" Kagami inquired.

"...what are your thoughts on all of this?" Ren asked, not taking his gaze off of the ground.

The sudden question left Kagami with no answer. Her mouth was agape a little bit, but no words came out, as she struggled to formulate a good enough answer for Ren.

"I..I...uhm...I don't know how to really put it, or if I really have anything to say. I'm just following the orders given to us Ren," Kagami stammered.

"I suppose I could say the same. All I ever do is take orders from Ishii, but they were smart orders and look where they got us. I never put much thought into it, but, seeing that sketch has made me think twice about this entire plan otherwise…" Ren sighed.

"Now you're just beating yourself up over what Sozen showed you."

"But what if he's right?"

At this point, Ren turned his body so he was now facing Kagami, his grip still firmly wrapped around her wrist. Kagami somewhat rolled her eyes at the question as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sozen says a lot of things, Ren. We've known him long enough to where he says things that sound rather pessimistic, but it's normal for him to say such sullen things. I think he's only that way because of what happened back in Koto if I'm being completely honest."

She had a point with that. Sozen was discharged from Koto sometime before the Great Raid took place, but he never mentioned why he was discharged from service in the city, and neither really bothered to ask why. Whatever the case, it had to have been closely associated to what led to his termination of service from Koto.

"Anyways, I should go get my gear ready. Who knows when Ishii will tell us to mobilize again," Kagami mentioned, starting to pull away.

As she tried to turn away in an attempt to get her arm free, Kagami suddenly found herself being hastily pulled back in, colliding against Ren's chest as he wrapped her arms around her upper back. The motion was rather sudden, making her blush as she stood in Ren's embrace, his arms firmly wrapped around her.

"Even if things get bleak during this attack, I'm sticking to my vow of protecting you. You're not dying unless those Vikings cut through me first...I swear by it," Ren stated, tightening his embrace.

"Ren…"

On her shoulder, she could feel water start to drip onto the fabric of her undershirt. She knew it wasn't the rain since the storms had already gone by, but rather it was Ren's tears. He wasn't one for crying, but in a situation like this, it was understandable for him to break. Nevertheless, Kagami returned the gesture as she quietly breathed against his chest. Today was proving to be a mountain to climb for the group, mostly Renjiro since he had so many obstacles to face ranging from previous partners to now having to deal with the reality of the situation that they were in, but he would still stand by all that he promised. Even if it meant that dying in battle in order for others to keep pushing forward.

* * *

 **Time: 1:53 P.M.**

The war horns sounded off as the Samurai drew closer to the Vikings' outpost, or fortress as some would've called it, for the exterior was already intimidating as is with its reinforced stone walls. The feature that made this spot interesting, was the fact that it was built over a land made gorge, with only a strip of packed dirt leading from the entrance to where the rear of the camp was. Inside, two Raiders were walking about along a metal bridge of sorts, their axes stowed on their backs as they strolled along. Despite the distance that was between them and the oncoming Samurai army, they could hear the faint bellowing of the war horns.

"Hvað var þetta?" **(What was that?)**

"Stríðshorn ... fara á varðbergi Asbjorn. Ég mun vera hér til að vara við aðra." **(War horns...go alert Asbjorn. I'll stay here to warn the others.)**

Nodding in agreement, the Raider ran off towards the rear of the camp, leaving his brethren to handle the others who were by the front of the camp. Racing along the nearby bridge, the Raider continued his sprint, sliding down a ladder onto ground level before racing towards the wooden double doors that led to the inside of the main hall. Bursting through one of them, he was immediately met with stares from the Shamans that were sitting at the long table, along with the Warlord, Asbjorn, who seemed confused at the Raider's sudden appearance, gasping for air.

"Arn, hvað hefur þú út af andanum?" **(Arn, what's got you out of breath?)** Asbjorn asked.

"Samurai...þeir eru að koma…" **(Samurai….they're coming...)** Arn heaved, still sucking in air.

"Hvað?! Fáðu alla tilbúna til að verja! Við erum ekki að tapa þessum stað til þessara viðbragða!" **(What?! Get everyone ready to defend! We ain't losing this place to those freaks!)** Asbjorn shouted, ushering the Shamans to get ready.

The Shamans immediately started sprinting out of the hall at Asbjorn's command as he stayed behind to help Arn back up to his feet before drawing out his sword and shield as he started speed walking out of the hall. Arn breathless made his attempt to keep up with the Warlord, but he soon dropped onto all fours as Asbjorn kept moving forward to the small pavillion that overlooked the middle of the camp. Inside, a Highlander and Valkyrie were standing at attention, their weapons ready at hand.

"Grímur, Astrid, verja brýrnar að öllum kostnaði. Ef þessir te-drykkjarvörur koma yfir, þá munum við allir vera dæmdar," **(Grim, Astrid, defend the bridges at all costs. If those tea-drinking freaks get across, then we'll all be doomed.)** Asbjorn remarked.

The two Vikings made haste for the two bridges that were precariously hanging over the gorge that laid below the fortress. The bridges had also been designed to act as traps since a simple pull of a lever at the far end, would drop the metal out from under anyone who unfortunately found themselves standing on the structure. Across the way, a few Berserkers and some the Shamans were readying themselves to ambush the oncoming Samurai trope. Eventually, there were the crunching footsteps of the Samurai entering, with Ishii leading the front, and Renjiro, Kagami, and Sozen were two ranks behind him, all weapons at the ready.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Never know where these savages are lurking," Ishii stated, carefully pacing himself with his Nodachi poised.

The silence that was within the outpost was unsettling to most, as those in the middle of the tightly squeezed group looked about, finding no trace of the Vikings in any of the nooks or crannies that the interior possessed. The center of the place was empty as well, leaving only the packed dirt exposed, and the path to move forward open. The sight confused the lieutenants, but Ishii remained a stone as he pushed forward. As they reached the center of the clearing, a voice suddenly boomed from above.

"Halt!"

The Samurai paused in their steps as all heads started to look for the source of the voice. From the pavilion, an arrow streaked through the air, striking the ground in front of Ishii. With his attention caught, he turned towards the pavilion, where a small archer stood, with Asbjorn looking down at the group, arms folded over his chest as he wore an unimpressed look.

"You're lucky we share a common tongue, Samurai. If it weren't for that meeting of Stigandr, Ayu, and Holden eight years ago, then we may not be communicating right now. Instead, your blood and guts would be spilled on the spot you're all standing on right now," Asbjorn stated, twisting his boot on the wood.

"You're a lot of talk for such little intellect, Warlord!" Ishii retorted.

"The name's Asbjorn, in case you care. Moving on to important matters, I'll only offer you this once: Leave now, or be slain right where you stand," Asbjorn demanded, drawing his sword out.

Ishii could only laugh at Asbjorn's request.

"Such a bold request of someone who's full of brawn but no brains. You ought to know us Samurai better, Asbjorn. We choose death over cowardice!" Ishii determinedly exclaimed.

Asbjorn shook his head at the statement.

"Mjög vel…" **(Very well…)** Asbjorn sighed.

Tapping his sword against his shield, the archer beside him pulled out a war horn and loudly blew it. From the right side of Ishii, a Shaman wildly came charging in, tackling one of his lieutenants down before viciously biting down into their neck, ripping out their jugular. The downed Samurai let out a blood-curdling scream before the sounds of choked blood came out until he soon bled out. Taking advantage of the numbers they had, one of the lieutenants drew out his sword, soon slashing the blade across the ribs of the Shaman, knocking them prone to the ground. Before it had a chance to stand, Ishii, planted his sword into the spine of the Shaman, pinning them to the ground, letting more blood spurt. The grounded woman let out a wounded growl, before falling limp, allowing Ishii to pull his Nodachi free, pointing it up to Asbjorn.

"If it's bloodshed you wanted, all you had to do was ask you stinking bear!"

From the sides, mixtures of growling and snarls filled the air as Berserkers and Shamans jumped down onto the ground to meet the group, along with other smaller Viking soldiers and captains. Despite the numbers advantage, the crowd up front soon heard more blood curdling yells from behind them. Four Valkyries had maneuvered behind them and were laying waste to the soldiers and captains the Samurai had, soon dwindling them down to only their Kensei and Nobushi. Instinctively, Ishii lunged at the first Berserker in front of him, while his lieutenants went for the rest of the Shamans before them. Renjiro turned himself around to where he was facing the Valkyries, along with Kagami and Sozen doing the same. The four women soon streaked towards them, with the one in front jumping at Ren, stabbing her spear towards him. Smirking at the move, Ren quickly crossed his katanas in front of him, forming an X, causing the spear to bounce off the point where they met, rendering the Valkyrie stunned. Swiftly moving forward, he tightly gripped the woman's shoulder with his left, before bashing her in the face with the hilt of the katana in his right. The blow dazed the woman as she stumbled back, but Ren kept the assault going as he rushed forward, stepping to the right, before cutting in and slashing across the Valkyrie's stomach, opening it up. Dark crimson liquid spilled from the opening, the Valkyrie dropping down to her knees as her life waned before her sisters. Two of the other woman went to rush to her aid but were quickly cut off by Sozen and Kagami, with Sozen batting the first away like a ball, and Kagami keeping the other at bay with her Naginata. Every move the Viking woman attempted, she had to sidestep the oncoming stabs from Kagami, who was determined behind her mask not to let the masked Valkyries get by. Ren stepped forward to the kneeling Valkyrie, who blankly stared up at him out of despair as he changed the position of his katanas so they were facing away from his nearly dead foe. Raising the blades up, he drove them down towards the woman, sinking them into her shoulders. The only noise that came out was a grunt before she went silent as her eyes glazed over while Ren removed the katanas from her before kicking the body over onto the ground. Turning his attention, he targeted the Valkyrie who was now streaking towards him as he readied himself into another fighting stance.

Back in the clearing, Ishii and his men were really testing their skills against the nimble Berserkers and Shamans. Ishii had already decapitated the first Berserker soon after charging him, leaving two more to face, and his men each had a Shaman a piece to face. The two Berserkers were swift in their attacks, giving Ishii little time to block and parry them. He was able to manage with a quick timing of blocks as he sidestepped to his right, before grazing his blade against the chest of one of the two dual ax-wielding Vikings. The blow left the man stunned, as the other jumped at Ishii with a flying elbow to the head, sending the General spinning into the near wall, making him crash arm first. Stunned by the strike, Ishii shook his head about in order to regain his bearings just as he heard the war yell of the Berserker flinging itself at him with a jump, axes reared back. Changing his stance, Ishii turned his back to the Viking as he came down onto his feet, but as he swung his axes down, the aged Samurai nimbly stepped to the side, catching the Berserker by surprise as steel soon met his stomach. Sinking the blade deep in the man's gut, Ishii could hear the man spitting up blood from his insides, before he fully dragged the blade through, cutting through the stomach, leaving only a bloody corpse to lifelessly drop to the dirt which was soon stained a dark crimson. With his lieutenants, they themselves were struggling to put up with the Shamans, who were constantly flinging their bodies into them, forcing them back and almost stumbling onto the ground. Eventually, one of the Shamans got the upper hand, sinking her dagger into the shoulder of her prey, carving the side of the lieutenant's chest before hacking at his neck with her ax, decapitating the Samurai. The gruesome scene greatly startled the other two as they backed off from their targets, while the Shaman sadistically licked her reddened blade as she turned to the other two. Readying herself to fight once more, she was suddenly brought down to her knees from behind, feeling a stinging pain in her legs. From behind, Aki kicked up off her back, leaping high into the air before cutting his blade into the Shaman's spine, dragging it down the entire length, soon leaving another corpse on the battlefield. The other two Shamans looked on in sheer surprise at the sudden disposal of their fellow friend, but the one by the far wall soon had their ankle ensnared by a kusarigama, tripping them up onto the ground. Struggling to keep themselves stationary, the Shaman was soon dragged to a shadowy corner by the wall, the other half of the kusarigama soon spiking itself into the flesh of the Viking as she was drawn closer to the shadows. Eventually, the sickle sunk into the Shaman's throat, causing them to choke on their blood before having their head violently ripped off, making blood spurt everywhere. From the shadows, a bloodied Izumi stepped out, her kusarigama readied once more. The last remaining Shaman immediately hightailed it from the clearing, scurrying up a ladder onto the second level, before dashing across the right-hand bridge. With the center clear, the five turned their attention towards the Viking minions that were starting to run towards the clearing. In the back, Asbjorn continued to watch on unimpressed as the struggle for dominance continued between the two factions.

The Valkyrie attempted a side step maneuver, jabbing her spear at Kagami, who easily deflected the strike before recoiling back in order to give some distance, as Sozen stepped in from the side, swinging his kanabo into the rib cage of the Valkyrie. Bones crunched inside, shattered as the ribs fell apart, with the woman soon vomiting blood from the blow as she dropped onto all fours. Shifting to the side, Sozen readied his kanabo, swinging it overhead, driving it down into the back of the Viking's back, effectively snapping the spine. More blood bubbled forward from the behind the Valkyrie's helmet, the blood trickling from all openings. Off to their side, Renjiro was struggling with the Valkyrie that had charged him, her spear strikes traveling in intricate patterns that made it difficult for the Aramusha to block and deflect as he kept trying his best to counter each attack. During the attack, the Valkyrie drew her spear across her body before sweeping it across the ground, knocking Ren's feet out from under him, causing him to hit the ground with a solid thud. Before he could stand up, the Viking placed a foot on his chest, spear raised high overhead as she stared down at where his heart was located. Adjusting her grip, she appeared poised to strike, but a sudden kick to the head knocked her off balance as Kagami positioned herself into her fighting stance.

"No one's killing my guardian…"

The Viking quickly regained her balance, letting out a snarl as she stared down the masked Nobushi, who calmly had her Naginata aimed at her foe. Sozen quickly helped Ren up off the ground, who in turn stood his ground as the two looked around for any other incoming foes as Kagami squared off against the dazed Valkyrie. The Viking woman charged, shield leading her, bashing into Kagami, sending the young woman backward, but not enough to knock her on to the ground. Immediately after, the woman went for another spear sweep, but Kagami quickly backpedaled, avoiding the move as she jabbed her weapon forward, catching the Valkyrie in the shield arm. The Valkyrie quickly covered her arm, which in turn allowed Kagami to quickly follow up with another strike, jabbing the woman in the other arm, and again in the previous arm before stabbing her in the chest. Four different wounds were now spilling blood, leaving the Valkyrie fully exposed to more attacks as she struggled to maintain a fighting stance with Kagami taking the chance to rush forward and plunge her Naginata into the belly of her enemy. Blood splattered against the inside of the helmet, as it was spat out from the Viking, and shortly afterward, Kagami pulled her weapon free as she turned her back to the woman, pulling the head down and flipping the woman forward onto the ground. Rolling onto her stomach, the Valkyrie looked up in agony at Kagami, who swiftly swung her weapon down, precisely slicing the neck and throat of the Valkyrie, quickly killing her as hot blood spilled onto the ground. The other Valkyrie that had been there, had run off prior to the death of the one at Sozen's hands, disappearing to the upper levels of the fortress.

"Well, we're managing we-"

Before Ren could finish his statement, the hulking figure of Arn charged into the fray, lifting Ren up onto his shoulder and running some distance away from the other two, before flinging the Aramusha onto the ground with a solid thump.

"Ren!" Sozen and Kagami cried.

The duo started to make their move, but another hulking figure rolled in front of them, this one wielding a Claymore sword in his hands as he stood up onto his feet.

"Þú deyr hér!" **(You die here!)** the Highlander shouted, clumsily flourishing his sword.

The two Samurai angrily stood their ground, readying their weapons as Ren kipped-up from the ground, katanas still ready as he stared down Arn.

"Why can't you Samurai learn that you'll never push to the Capital? We may not be as advanced as you or the Ironstone Legion, but we got the strength of a thousand men in each of our souls!" Arn snarled.

"Talk is cheap in this. I'll just let you taste my blades, dog breath," Ren chided, readying himself.

Both rushed the other, steel clashing against steel in a flurry of sparks. Each strike that one of them did seemed to be matched for the other as their weapons traded glancing blows. Arn swung his ax laterally, but quickly shifted its position to where he was going for a top strike with the hilt, but Ren crossed his blades once more, deflecting the strike before catching Arn in the gut with a spinning kick that sent the Raider back some feet. Angered by the retaliation, Arn charged forward once more, ducking his head down as he neared Renjiro. The Aramusha went to side step, but was slow on the movement and was soon lifted up once more onto the Raider's shoulder and carried towards the far wall, where he was dumped back first into, making him slide down into a seated position on the ground. Swiftly continuing the assault, Arn raised his knee up, slamming it into Ren's jaw, visibly stunning the Aramusha as he backed off from him. Standing back up onto his feet, albeit slowly, Ren saw nothing but double in his vision as Arn mockingly laughed at his condition.

"How typical of you Samurai. Focusing so much on grace in battle, that it doesn't even save you in the end from the might of us Vikings. Fun while it lasted…" Arn proudly stated, rearing his ax back.

Ren unsteadily raised his katanas up as Arn charged forward, but before him, a puff smoke emerged, along with a shadowy figure that promptly met his jaw with a swift backflip kick, sending the Raider stumbling backward, falling flat on his bottom.

"What the?!"

Landing in front of Ren was the same figure of Izumi, crouched and ready to fight.

"Izumi!"

"If anyone's killing you, in the end, Renjiro, it's gonna be me," Izumi remarked, staring Arn down, who was now more than visibly pissed.

Ren smirked at the comment as he slowly regained his bearings, the two taking a ready position to challenge Arn as he let out a bloodthirsty roar, charging the two. Izumi quickly lashed out one end of her kusarigama, catching Arn off guard as it wrapped around his ax, before yanking him in close, making him stumble once more. Spinning in a careful circle, Izumi swiftly slashed diagonally downwards with both sickles, before slicing up Arn's chest, leaving a bloody patch of flesh as she kicked him back up onto his feet, his ax dropping down to the ground. Pausing for a moment, his throat thrashed before his head bowed and blood started to trickle from his mouth. Ren wasted no time in stepping forward, performing a half circle step before plunging his blades into Arn's stomach. Twisting the blades around in his gut, the near lifeless Raider puked more blood onto the ground as Ren pulled his katanas free, stretching his arms out wide as he stared down Arn.

"A-A-Asbjorn….forgive me….as I depart….for Valhalla…"

Exhaling a frustrated breath, Ren hastily drew his arms together, bringing his blades toward Arn's neck, cleanly decapitating the man. The corpse fell backward, impacting the ground with blood still gushing from the stump of the neck that the body now had as the pair looked on, their gear stained red from all the blood.

"Almost like old times," Izumi noted, earning a slight chuckle from Ren as they started racing back to the clearing.

Running back down the path, the two quickly came across Sozen and Kagami, who was finishing off the Highlander, with Kagami cleaning slicing the Viking's head off with her Naginata. In the clearing, Ishii and his two remaining lieutenants were still trying to clear out the minions and other soldiers, along with the backing Samurai army while Akihiro was doing battle with another Raider. In the distance, another war horn sounded off, and from the pavilion, Asbjorn suddenly jumped down, his sword cleanly cutting into one of the lieutenants' shoulders, before bashing them square in the jaw with a shield-like uppercut that cracked their skull open, leaving them dead as they landed back down to earth. The other lieutenant tried to take the opportunity to slash the Warlord, but was easily parried away and met with a solid shot to the chest from the shield, stunning him before Asbjorn flipped him over his shoulders, slamming the man into the ground before plunging his sword deep into the man's chest, piercing his heart, leaving Ishii without his remaining men as he pulled his sword back out. Meanwhile, some of the smaller soldiers were trying to make a fast break across the left-hand bridge, but Grim instinctively pulled the lever the moment they set foot on the metal, the bottom opening up, sending the soldiers down to their rocky deaths. The sight greatly distressed Ishii as Asbjorn now approached him, towering over the Kensei, who shakingly held his ground as he looked up at the Warlord. Looking down at Ishii, Asbjorn suddenly let out a whistle call, which forced the Raider that was fighting Aki to suddenly stop in the midst of battle, which also surprised Aki, but a javelin suddenly pierced through the air from on high, sinking into Akihiro's leg. The young Orochi dropped down onto the ground, clutching his leg in sheer agony as he let out a painful yelp. The Raider made no immediate move to do anything, that is until Asbjorn addressed him.

"Gefðu honum aftur Samurai. Engin þörf fyrir unga að slá meðan veikist." **(Give him back to the Samurai. No need for a young one to be struck while weakened.)**

The order baffled the Raider as he looked on at Asbjorn with utmost confusion.

"Now, Thorvald!" Asbjorn angrily ordered.

Sighing, Thorvald nonchalantly grabbed ahold of Aki's arm, dragging him across the dirt over to the Samurai side, whose forces were now a little less than the remaining Vikings that remained. Stopping in front of Renjiro, Thorvald simply swung Aki around to where the Orochi was laying directly in front of the Aramusha, not taking his eyes off of him.

"Læknandi," **(Pathetic)** Thorvald scoffed.

Turning back, Thorvald made his way back across the clearing while Aki continued to lay on the dirt, writhing in absolute pain as the javelin was still speared through his leg. Feeling rage build up, Izumi reared her right arm back, aiming her shot directly at the back of Thorvald's neck.

"Izumi, no!" Ren shouted.

A hand ax suddenly cut through the sky, nicking Izumi's shoulder, sending a stinging pain throughout as she dropped her arm back down with Ren catching hold of her as she staggered, clutching her shoulder. The Shaman from earlier sadistically laughed as she looked down from her perch on the near side of the right-hand bridge, with Izumi staring back up at the woman with a vengeful glare, but Ren kept her in line.

"Don't. You've fought enough for now," Ren commented, gently pulling Izumi away from the edge of the clearing.

In the center, Asbjorn was pushing Ishii back as he blankly stared down at the Kensei, who showed no signs of giving up.

"Your soldiers are weak, Kensei. Just go home," Asbjorn stated.

"I already told you, us Samurai choose death over cowardice!" Ishii exclaimed, swinging his sword overhead.

The Warlord easily blocked the futile slash with his own sword, before bashing Ishii in the face with his shield. The blow left the Kensei's nose bleeding profusely, visibly broken from the blow while Ishii somehow still held his ground, albeit more wobbly than before. From above, another javelin came crashing down into the dirt, missing Ishii's head by mere inches. Astrid stood poised at the ready with another javelin in hand as she stared down the General. Sensing the oncoming danger, Ren immediately raced out into the clearing, drawing out his katanas.

"Ren, you mustn't!" Sozen called out, fruitlessly reaching out to the Aramusha.

As the Valkyrie threw down the javelin, the sharpened wood spiraling toward the chest of Ishii, Ren quickly stepped in, cleaning cutting the javelin in half, sending the splintered halves flying by his commander. Angrily, he looked up at the Viking who stood above him, who was laughing in amusement as Ren stowed away his blades.

"Interesting...a mercenary in the company of this small army," Asbjorn remarked, taking interest in the Aramusha.

"That is Renjiro….the man who can take you down, you pitiful savages," Ishii drearily stated, the loss of blood starting to affect him.

"That so? Well, guess there's no need for you to be here anymore then…" Asbjorn cooley replied.

Knocking Ren aside with his shield, the Warlord swiftly plunged his sword into Ishii's chest, making the man cough up a moderate amount of blood onto the dirt as the remaining Samurai looked on horrified as their General was dying before them.

"If there's one thing that annoys me more than warriors who aren't up for the task of fighting, it's those who constantly blabber and never shut their mouths. You're a fine example of that, Kensei," Asbjorn scoffed, twisting his sword in Ishii's chest, before violently ripping it down to his gut, keeping his blade wedged in the man.

"Ishii!" Ren shouted.

The Kensei struggled with each gasping breath as his life was slowly being drained by the Warlord's blade. He could feel everything around him starting to go black as he struggled to keep his eyes open, his head slowly dropping down as his strength waned away. After several more excruciating moments had passed, Ishii's knees buckled from underneath him along with his arms going limp as his head dropped. The man who was once revered as one of the greatest generals that the Dawn Empire had ever been blessed with, had now been taken before his soldiers' eyes, with Asbjorn kicking his corpse off his sword, and onto the ground with a solid impact.

"Such a waste…" Thorvald remarked from the side, as he headed back to the main hall.

Ren silently watched as the Raider made his way back up the small hillside of dirt that lead to the main building. Suddenly, Ren felt Asbjorn grab ahold of his tunic, lifting him up off the ground with his sword tip poised against Ren's throat.

"No!" Kagami screamed but was ultimately held back by Sozen.

"So, that man you called Ishii, he said you could defeat me? Pssh, what makes him think that?" Asbjorn inquired, slightly poking Ren with his sword.

"One Valkyrie….and one Raider killed…..with relative ease," Ren stuttered.

"Heh, that would explain why Arn isn't here with us right now. Shame though since he was a decent warrior, but nowhere near the level of Thorvald. If you had killed him, maybe I would give you the chance to fight me, but why bother? You'd just be another waste like the old man that was guiding you to your inevitable fate," Asbjorn chided, dragging Ren over to the cliff that sat beneath the right-hand bridge.

"Put him down!" Akihiro cried out from the ground, his hands clutching the javelin in his leg.

"Oh, I will…" Asbjorn retorted, drawing Ren back.

Just when everything seemed calm, Asbjorn suddenly threw his arm forward, along with Ren, releasing his hold on the Samurai. Everything seemed to slow down as Ren flew over the opening, with his close companions watching on in shock and horror as Asbjorn emotionlessly watched the Aramusha dangle in the air before he started to fall down to the earth. He figured this was it for him: his life simply slain at the hands of a powerful Warlord, who easily threw him off the side of a cliff while his friends watched the scene of madness transpire before them. The last thing he saw was the silver wolf pendant that dangled around his neck, fly up in front of his face before the world around him went black as his body tumbled down into the dark gorge.


End file.
